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How relevant is climate change research for climate change policy? An empirical analysis based on Overton data
Lutz Bornmann1,2, Robin Haunschild2, Kevin Boyack3
1Science Policy and Strategy Department, Administrative Headquarters of the Max Planck Society, Munich, Germany.
Plos One
|September 22, 2022
Summary
Scientific research on climate change significantly influences policy documents, with cited papers receiving more attention. Policy publications often align with international climate diplomacy cycles and focus on biology, earth sciences, and engineering.
Area of Science:
- Interdisciplinary research connecting climate science, policy studies, and bibliometrics.
Background:
- Climate change necessitates policy action informed by scientific evidence.
- The Overton database provides links between policy documents and cited research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the connection between climate change research and policy documents.
- To analyze the impact of scientific findings on policy formulation and publication patterns.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Overton database to analyze citations between scientific papers and policy documents.
- Examined publication trends of policy documents in relation to international climate diplomacy cycles.
- Compared citation counts for climate change papers cited in policy documents versus those not cited.
Main Results:
- Policy document publication shows peaks around international climate diplomacy events.
- Intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) and think tanks are significant publishers of climate policy documents.
- Climate change papers cited in policy documents receive substantially more citations than uncited papers.
- Both science and policy prioritize research in biology, earth sciences, engineering, and disease sciences.
Conclusions:
- A clear link exists between climate change research and policy, evidenced by citation patterns and publication timing.
- Proposes a model of policy impact: scientific reports inform science communication, leading to government and legislative documents.
- Highlights the role of IGOs and think tanks in translating climate science into policy.
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